How To Stay Focused Online: Best Tools And Essential Tips

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The internet is chock full of distractions. If you haven't been managing your time well while working, you might waste minutes, hours, or even days on online activities that aren't related to your growing business.

A healthy work routine and the ability to hone your focus will help you finish things on time, even with all the distractions. Here are some tips to help you stay productive: 

4 Tips to Staying Focused Online

Create Visual Reminders 

What's the reason behind your business? What is your ultimate goal? To have more money in the bank? To take care of your family, finish a degree, or snag a dream job? The simplest way to stay focused online is to think about the reason why you're working so hard in the first place. That's your prime motivation. 

But let's face it, sometimes we lose sight of what's vital in the endless humdrum of the day. It won't hurt to remind yourself why you're doing what you do. Write down your ultimate goal on places that you can see while working. A post-it note on your computer screen, a motivational custom phone background, or a photograph on your desk – are great places to create reminders of why you're working so hard. 

Reinforce Your Focus 

While working on your computer, do you find yourself stopping and doing something else – like checking Facebook or your email? 

When the brain becomes bored or unfocused, it tends to shift its attention to something else to get a hit of dopamine. A Harvard study found that activities like checking emails or social media send a shot of dopamine along a reward pathway, and such activities make us feel “rewarded.” The thing is, opening a new tab is going on a random website to clear your head is mostly done on autopilot. It's just something your subconscious mind does to satisfy the craving for dopamine.

To avoid wasting precious time mindlessly surfing the net while working, catch yourself doing it and create a positive habit response to refocus the brain. The next time you check Facebook or your inbox for a notification to “take a breather,” try:

• Correcting your posture
• Take a few sips of water
• Take five deep breaths
• Stretch your arms and back
• Look at your visual reminders

Reinforce your focus by leveraging the Greatness app's personalized habit program to counter distractions. When you find yourself veering off track during work, such as checking emails or social media, utilize the app. These personalized strategies from the Greatness app's program can help redirect your attention and boost your productivity, ultimately aiding in maintaining your focus on the task at hand.

Being bored at work is normal, but if this happens all the time, you must determine the root cause. 

Remove Distractions

When you're working online, the lack of focus is literally costing you money. And if you're a solopreneur who needs to be 100% focused on staying productive, solve the problem head-on – remove the distractions.

Remove the apps on your phone if you always catch yourself endlessly surfing social media sites. Deleting distracting apps isn't a permanent solution, but it helps maintain focus when you should be working. You can always restore the apps after your workday. 

Some third-party plugins can help you stay focused while online, like a Google Chrome extension called “Go F*cking Work.” This plugin redirects you to motivational messages when you type in blocked links. This app lets you block any website, and you can set timeframes so these do not stay blocked for long. You can also block the URLs indefinitely. 

Another plugin that helps you avoid mindlessly reading social media notifications is the “News Feed Eradicator.” This Google Chrome extension blocks the newsfeed and replaces it with a motivational quote. What's unique about this app is it leaves the full capabilities of the platform itself; it just blocks the newsfeed. 

Challenge Yourself with a Timer

Challenge yourself to complete a task at a specific time, then give yourself a small reward after. For example, give yourself two hours to create a blog post on your WordPress or Showit site or upload a new video on your YouTube channel. Get your phone and set the timer to maintain focus. If you can beat the timer or complete a task just in time, reward yourself, like an extra 10 minutes during a coffee break or an additional five minutes of meditation. 

By challenging yourself with a timer, you can train your brain to become laser-focused, enabling you to complete some tasks that often take a long time to complete when you're distracted. You'll surprise yourself with how fast you can work when you're timing your progress. 

Only you have the power to free yourself from boredom; no one is powerless to it. Lack of focus can be solved by correcting bad habits. No one is too lazy or undisciplined to focus online. With these tips, you can improve your productivity and avoid distractions that are keeping you from reaching your goals!

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